Telegram-herald., 1887-07-08
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ed ~ TIE eiylte3 void
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come tired u hearing al4a Feastias - ntel
shout t1e o5G s1.aleT. Dat lie large Assfssi
patf.0t CanEO. forget ~hAt a glorious netit--
age these odd soldiers PIE sfs ed Tor hiai,
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TkeEs ia k3ssssEs sa.R ksr cl1ss q per-
sOas, very closely related 70 tls OF soid-efs.
Who TOOK DsTl lR tie kfe@s ccatest, and
whose present e0ndaiC1 1-s, al4 -. feff
r.
soldiers 9ifs especially and could pfop-
exly include tie soldiers moihsf A0t a.
most of TIE old soldiers mothers have long
since gone t. their reward. Il Is sufficient
for our purpose 90 call AtteatiOn % The pres
eut needs II yast nuMyer Of soldiers wives
IN our State. IL : a dlssF aoeial iaet tnst
many a soldier wite or WldoS - nov not
only suffering nom cxtEene poverty, out Is
az inmate OF the county poor house.
OF supported IS the township board IT
u was a disgrace 10 the state % have rs
soldiers county ard township caarses, Is IL
not more dlsgraceiui that their wives are
lett IA the cold, cruel msgCies Of bitter
world separated from Their husbands or
families. ana IL the deepest depths OF
despair Much has been said about the
self sacrifice of the soldier. and with jos
tice, too, tut was il 40 seif-Saerlnce for
wife. trained 10 dependence, and 10 large
degree helpless. TO be suddenly leit sl0ne 10
battle az hest she could with human sharks
and hyenasf
Thousands Of soldiers, il is true, lost their
health in the service Of their country, but
il Is equally irae that thousands OF soldiers
wives utterly destroyed their health By
overvOrk and exposure eniailed upon them
IN their desperate struggles TO keep them
selves and children from starvation while
their husbands lay sick IN hospitals. or
were kept out of the miserable pIttance due
them from the Government.
rs many women lost their health nom
these causes as there we're men who lost
their health in army service.
The soldiers wife did as much and suf-
fersd as much for her country as the soldier
did-and more.
Besides. one of the keenest pangs suffered
By the veterans nov in the various Homes
sh..s IL h..a -
fortably provided for his family are on the
very verge Of starvation actually suffering
for the cOmmonest neceSsaries OF life. No
provision whatever is made for the poor,
sick wife or hungry, ragged children. This
suffering is immensely intensified by the
social disgrace entslled upon them by the
soldiers helplessness. Doubtless our citi-
zens have no adequate idea of this disgrace
ful state of affairs, AMI il is high time that
public attention was called to 1t, and that
prompt action should be taken.
But mind you, let no deeper
disgrace fail upon the soldiers family
by treating them rs objects OF
public charity. Palsied be the hand and
cursed be the tongue that shall add another
iota TO the poor woman 5 burden, or her
cbiidrens.
If the State authorities meant il when
they said that the Michigan Soldiers S Home
was but = weak attempt 10 pay part OF the
debt due her soldiery; if Governors
Blair, Alger and Luce really meant
what they said; then the sol
dier's fam2y can justly demand that
they shall bs permitted to share in some
measure the bounty due the husband and
father. and they no more than be are ask
ing ior public charity, and they, as we'll as
he, can properly resent the insult so often
flung at them. ii is high time that the
unique relation of the State 10 the men who
preserved the State is clearly understood.
and that wide chssm of distinction be-
tween the Soldiers Home and all
our public institutions be constantly
maintained and even widened,
II is not my purpose this time to consider
the ways and means of this problem, but
remember oil ye lovers or friends of the in
mates of the Michigan Soldiers Home that
beautiful as it is, and comfortable as it is,
it nevertheless is a poor mockery of the
sacred name of Home while our wives
and children are in distress. Respectfully
submitted.
CHARLES X. GIBSON. Acting Chaplain.
Michigan Soldiers Home, July 8. 1857.